The Broadbent Blog

Statement on the passage of Bill C-525

The Conservative government ended the 2014 Parliamentary session with another attack on Canada’s democratic institutions with Tuesday’s passage of Bill C-525 in the Senate.

The intention of the private member’s bill by backbench Conservative MP Blaine Calkins is to make it harder for workers in federally regulated workplaces to unionize and easier for a minority of workers to decertify unions.

With the full backing of Stephen Harper and the Conservative cabinet, the legislation is part of an ongoing campaign by the Harper government to undermine Canada’s unions and attack collective bargaining rights. The approach is both undemocratic and bad for the economy.

As former Conservative Senator Hugh Segal said prior to stepping down from the Upper Chamber in June, strong unions are key to a thriving middle class and a shared prosperity.

"My Canada is the kind of Canada where trade unions and free collective bargaining make our economy stronger and Canada a better place," Segal said in a speech to Unifor’s Ontario Council last year.

In the case of Bill C-525, the Harper government’s desire to destabilize federal labour relations resulted in the Conservative-dominated Senate passing legislation despite being made aware of technical flaws in the bill.

This speaks volumes about the Harper government’s anti-union agenda, and we remain committed to fighting it at every turn.